A Romantic Weekend Escape 90 Miles from New York City

My husband and I were introduced to Mohonk Mountain House in the fall of 1979 after a friend recommended it. We used to travel to Vermont to enjoy beautiful mountain scenery, but when we first visited Mohonk for a Columbus Day weekend in 1979, we were immediately hooked. This is a very special place. It is not a hotel with a swinging night club and posh entertainment. It is a romantic hide-away in the midst of the most beautiful gardens and forests in the Shawangunk mountain chain ( just below the Catskill mountains).

Mohonk Mountain House sits in front of Lake Mohonk, a natural "sky" lake an eighth of a mile long, and the House is surrounded by acres of natural forest trails and gardens. The House was built , and expanded over time, by twin brothers, Albert and Alfred Smiley. The Smiley's were Quakers, and when the initial portion of the house was built as far back as 1869, it was host to many well-heeled travelers from New York City and Connecticut. The Smiley's were also involved in efforts to foster world peace and unity, and hosted in the hotel many dignitaries of the early 20th century and held conferences for many worthy causes. The Smiley's have also supported environmental issues, and their on-going preservation of the natural environment is evident through the work of the Mohonk Preserve. The Smiley family have managed the hotel almost continuously since its early days, and all of the money received through its patrons is used for the appropriate modernization and upkeep of the hotel and its grounds.